


While the weary world is sleeping

by lucylupin



Category: Slow Show - mia_ugly
Genre: Erasmus being the Daddiest, Fluff and Angst, In-universe fic, M/M, Some Fluff, Warlock the TV Show (Slow Show), William. pure of heart. home of sexual. dumb of ass. across all aus, also julia sleeps, but mostly - Freeform, mia_ugly's Slow Show Universe, the layers, the pancake stack is thicc, the tiniest bit of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:26:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21825895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lucylupin/pseuds/lucylupin
Summary: "There, there, Joshua. Go back to sleep. I'll sing a song for you, okay?" His voice calmed him a little, which Erasmus took encouragingly as he rocked him in his arms back and forth with care. He regretted his statement a little; he hadn't actually sung in a long time, and wasn't even sure he remembered any nursery rhymes.In which Erasmus sings a song and William thinks about him.
Relationships: Erasmus/William (Warlock - Slow Show)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 66
Collections: Slow Show Metaverse





	While the weary world is sleeping

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Slow Show](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20395261) by [mia_ugly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mia_ugly/pseuds/mia_ugly). 



> Thank you of course to mia_ugly for the most beautiful story. Read  
> [Slow Show](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20395261/chapters/48375457).  
> Special thanks to Micky and ThyErasmusBeDelivered from the server who were kind enough to beta and dealt with my dumb phone typos.  
> Also thanks to everyone in the warlock party house, you all come up with the best plots and your creativity amazes me. Collective creativity is a thing, and what a thing.  
> This is the first fic I've ever posted online (with one long-deleted exception a few years ago of a fandom that will remain nameless for the sake of my dignity), and English isn't even my first language, so any comments and critiques are highly appreciated!  
> This is a fanfiction of a fictional show that only exists inside a Good Omens AU. I can't believe we live like this.  
> This fic happens towards the ending of season 2. The lullaby can be found  
> [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGxSkpqUhYw). The title is from the song _All Through the Night_ by Bardd y Brenin.

Erasmus had given up trying to sleep, a nervous energy coiled up inside him that had left him restless and anxious, ready to jump at any sound. These days he could hardly shake it, that feeling of unease, as if at any moment a creeping shadow would loom out of the woods and plunge over them, overcome them until they were no more. He knew their pursuers were men of flesh and blood, but in his mind the threat had no shape, it was an amorphous darkness that could swallow them whole and left nothing but cold and rotten dampness behind. He saw it in his dreams, the nights after they walked from dawn until dusk almost without rest and he laid to sleep with the ache of the march still deep in his bones. 

In his dreams, the blackness came from behind the trees silently, unannounced, and wormed up and up until it caught them. William was always the first, then Joshua; and before he could do a thing about it, it would come for Julia and him too, and that would be the end of it. Sometimes, he would be spared: the darkness would take them all but him, leaving Erasmus behind, alone and helpless in the empty woods, running around and crying out to the nothingness, believing he could hear the faint screams of his friends far away but unable to follow them. He always woke up from these dreams gasping for air, covered in sweat and shaking, feeling as weary as the night before.

And now he refused to have one of those dreams again, so he sat at the edge of the campfire, poking at the burning wood from time to time to keep it going for a bit longer. The soft, rhythmic breathing of William and Julia relaxed him, so he concentrated on that sound, got lost in it, trying to keep himself calm. 

Suddenly, Joshua stirred in his makeshift cot. Erasmus went still, looking in his direction, waiting to see if it was just a passing uneasiness. No such luck. The infant stirred again, and a muffled cry began to sound, breaking the silence of the night. 

Erasmus rolled his eyes and got to his feet quickly. He moved towards the child while hushing him quietly. "Shhhhhh, hush little one," he took him in his arms, careful to wrap the blanket snuggly around him. "You're gonna wake everyone up, you whiny kid." His voice was soft and gentle, no trace of bitterness in it. He shot a quick glance towards Will and Julia, making sure they were still sleeping, and walked toward the fire. The warmth would do the baby good, and he didn't want to keep close to the others for fear of waking them up. 

Joshua was still crying, albeit quieter, but fussed in Erasmus’ arms restlessly, threatening to wake up completely from his slumber and ruin the night. Raz knew for a fact that once the child had made up his mind that he was awake there was no way to make him sleep again. He whispered to him softly. 

"There, there, Joshua. Go back to sleep. I'll sing a song for you, okay?" His voice calmed him a little, which Erasmus took encouragingly as he rocked him in his arms back and forth with care. He regretted his statement a little; he hadn't actually sung in a long time, and wasn't even sure he remembered any nursery rhymes. 

The last time he sang in front of other people he had been pretending to be a jester, a few years back, an easy way to pass through a difficult town. He had sung crude and vulgar songs, amusing coarse men. Obviously nothing appropriate for a baby. He knew other songs as well, sad ones that talked of longing for home or deaths of queens; but he wanted to calm Joshua, not make the kid weep more (or himself, for that matter). 

Suddenly, he remembered. He remembered a house he had once called home, for a brief time; and a woman who had cared for him. He remembered a song she sang sometimes, when he was too tired to pretend he was the tough kid that didn't need to be taken care of. 

He didn’t try remembering anymore, for the memories that followed were not happy or pleasant. He didn't need to think about it, anyways. Recalling the lullaby was enough. 

Erasmus cleared his throat, his brow furrowed in an effort to remember the words. He smiled at Joshua, who was threatening to start crying again. "Now, don't be too hard on me, I haven't done this in a long time."

The forest was quiet when he began his song. 

_"Down in the valley, valley so low_

_hang your head over, hear the wind blow_

_hear the wind blow, dear, hear the wind blow_

_hang your head over, hear the wind blow."_

His voice was low and a little rough, but he could hit the right tones and modulate correctly. It wasn't that bad, in his opinion. 

_"Roses love sunshine, violets love dew_

_angels in heaven know I love you_

_know I love you, dear, know I love you_

_angels in heaven, know I love you."_

As he sang, he stroked Joshua's hair gently, away from his face. The child's eyes were fluttering now, losing his battle against sleep. 

_"Writing this letter, containing three lines_

_answer my question, "Will you be mine?"_

_"Will you be mine, dear, will you be mine?"_

_Answer my question, "Will… Will you be mine?"_

Something in his voice had changed, cracking a little. Joshua yawned, and finally closed his eyes. 

_"Down in the valley, valley so low_

_Hang your head over, hear the wind blow_

_Hear the wind blow, dear, hear the wind blow_

_Hang your head over, hear the wind blow."_

Joshua was fast asleep now, his breathing slow and regular. Erasmus smiled with contentment, a sparkle of pride in his eyes he was glad no one else could see. He walked toward the others and left the infant on his small straw cot. He realized now that this prancing about with a baby in his arms had actually left him weary, and resolved to go to sleep at once. 

He snuck into his own bedroll and stared at the stars for a while, letting his exhaustion lift him and haul him into sleep. And when he dreamt, it wasn’t of shadows and murk, but of loving arms and a place to call home. 

***

William was startled out of his sleep by a familiar cry. He blinked and sighed, trying to wake himself up enough to get up and attend to Joshua, when he heard a soft hush. __Well, Julia beat me to it_ _, he thought, closing his eyes again. He was surprised when a male voice answered the infant's cries. William chastised himself for his own shock; after all, Erasmus was part of the group as much as him or Julia, and he watched over Joshua just as well. 

Still, in his heart, he had reservations about the man, even if unjustified, even if he would have denied them when asked. It was not that Erasmus hadn't proved himself worthy enough already, but something inside William warned him; __don't get too close to this man, don't get too attached, don't let your heart grow fond of him or, or… or what?_ _ He didn't know, and he wasn't sure he wanted to. 

He opened his eyes again and peered over at Erasmus, who was rocking the child in his arms. The light from the campfire illuminated his face warmly and gave a twinkle to his eyes; he had a soft expression on his face, one someone could almost say loving, as he looked down at Joshua and whispered quietly.

William could not understand the words from where he lay, but he could feel the tenderness in the tone. Maybe… maybe he really had been mistaken in his judgment, maybe Erasmus really was to be trusted, especially after proving time and again that he would not betray them even when given the chance. He felt a jab of shame at his own dogmatic ways. He was so ingrained in his thinking, even after seeing and learning with his own eyes that the world was not how he had been led to believe. He still had to fight himself not to let his judgement place value in other people according to some absurd code of dogmatic law. 

William was about to get up and offer Erasmus help when he heard the man start to sing. He laid still, almost not breathing. 

_"Down in the valley, valley so low_

_hang your head over, hear the wind blow…"_

Erasmus’ voice was deep, and husky, and beautiful. It made something shiver inside William, making him feel weak and warm all at the same time. A low gasp escaped his lips, almost inaudible, overtaken by the other man's tenderness. 

_"Roses love sunshine, violets love dew_

_angels in heaven know I love you…"_

_How could I ever judge this man so wrongly?_ He thought that he must have, because Erasmus was comforting a child in his arms, a motherless wretch that had no other family than a witch, a rogue priest, and a scoundrel that was singing the most beautiful song to make him sleep. And he could not be doing such things if he was not good. 

_"Writing this letter, containing three lines_

_answer my question, "Will you be mine?"_

William felt his heart tighten, like someone had taken it in his grasp and was now squeezing it mercilessly. Or, not squeezing, maybe it was something else, like a firm embrace that closed around him and threatened to let him without air. He took a deep breath and brought a hand to his face, over his eyes, trying to calm himself. There was no reason for his ardor, no reason at all. It was normal to feel a bit moved by this display of affection toward a child they all took care of together, but it was nothing else. 

_"Down in the valley, valley so low_

_Hang your head over, hear the wind blow…"_

William realized Joshua was still and silent now, and knew the lullaby had worked. He watched as Erasmus laid the child down and then went to sleep, and kept watching the silhouette of the man a little bit longer, outlined by the fire that now was almost reduced to embers. 

Slowly, he drifted back to sleep, and when he dreamt, it was not of dogmas or inquisitors, but of warm hands and a gentle voice.


End file.
